Postseason Run Ends In Supers

Friday, May 26

Stillwater, OK

3:00 PM

University of Oregon

38-17

Oklahoma State

46-14

Oklahoma State

Oregon

Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com

05/26/23 | Softball

Box Score Box Score: OSU 9, Oregon 0

Oregon dropped the second game of its Super Regional series at Oklahoma State on Friday.

By: Rob Moseley

STILLWATER, Okla. — Oregon's season came to an end Friday with a 9-0 loss to host Oklahoma State in the second game of their best-of-three NCAA Super Regional series at Cowgirl Stadium.

The Ducks (38-17) saw a streak of 11 consecutive innings without a baserunner end in the seventh inning Friday, with a potential no-hitter fittingly broken up by all-time great Allee Bunker in her final UO appearance. Losses of 8-1 and 9-0 over the weekend stung in the immediate aftermath, but Oregon also was celebrating the program's first Super Regional appearance since 2018.

"Just to see the transformation year over year with this team has been super rewarding," Bunker said. "And to be able to get to Super Regionals this year has been incredible."

Friday's game was the last in the five-year UO careers of Bunker, Terra McGowan and Katelyn Howard, who all have been on the roster throughout the tenure of head coach Melyssa Lombardi. It was also the final game for seniors Karissa Ornelas and Kyla Morris, who joined the team as transfers.

"I'm just so thankful," Lombardi said while conducting her postgame interview at a table alongside Bunker and McGowan. "Softball is what brought us together, but what I'm more proud of is the opportunity to do life with these two. That's what it's all about."

How It Happened: A leadoff double and an RBI single two batters later provided an early lead for the Cowgirls, who were designated the visiting team for Friday's game. The Ducks, meanwhile, went the first six innings without a baserunner off OSU left-hander Kelly Maxwell.

"She moved the ball really well," Bunker said. "She can hit all corners of the strike zone, which is really tough as a hitter. You just don't know what's coming at you. So yeah, she's a really tough opponent."

Stevie Hansen (20-7) kept it a 1-0 game into the fifth when, for the second day in a row, a play at the plate sparked an Oklahoma State rally. With runners on second and third and one out, UO shortstop Paige Sinicki fielded a ground ball and threw home for the second out of the inning. But McGowan was ruled to have obstructed the plate upon video review, the run counted and a six-run inning resulted.

The Cowgirls added two more runs in the seventh to lead 9-0. The Ducks got a one-out single from Bunker in the seventh, and then a two-out double by Ariel Carlson. But both runners were stranded as Oregon went scoreless in the series after taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the first game.

"I think our team is really good at flushing, and we came in with fire and energy and it just didn't go our way today," McGowan said. "But I'm really proud of what this group did."

Notable: Bunker finished her career in Oregon's all-time top 10 for batting average (.367, seventh), hits (285, third), doubles (46, second), RBIs (169, tied for fourth), runs (162, fifth), games (237, sixth) and at-bats (781, second). … McGowan threw out two runners attempting to steal, giving her 13 thrown out this season, tied for first in the Pac-12.

Quotable:
Senior catcher Terra McGowan on playing for Melyssa Lombardi
"I just think we really lucked out. I think we all found our way to each other for a reason. She does nothing but uplift women. She empowers women. She's someone that I'm so happy to have in my corner for the rest of my life, and I wouldn't have had it any other way."

Head coach Melyssa Lombardi on the program's progress since 2019
"We didn't even know if we were going to have enough people to play a season, but we found people — we found people on campus and found a way to play. And every year, these guys drove our team to be better and better and to go further and further. And to be at a Super Regional, not getting exactly what we wanted today but knowing that we left everything and there's nothing left to give, I'm thankful for (Bunker and McGowan) and our other seniors because they're leaving this program better than they found it."